Praise in Paris: “Mels” and Duryan find success in repeat performance
September 9, 2005
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Abrahamyan
Yerevan native playwright Narek Duryan’s play “Thank You, God” is enjoying a repeat performance in Paris, at the De Jazet Theater.
The play was so successful during a month-long run in June, that the board of directors of the 700-seat theater in Bastille Square invited Duryan back, where he is again the featured attraction this month.
[...]
The character created and embodied by Duryan carries elements of self-biography, of a man named Mels who has passed through a socialist regime and is enjoying a European democracy trying to realize what freedom is.
[...]
During “independence”, Mels ends up selling his valued possessions in Yerevan’s vernisage bazaar; he puts his father’s military coat for sale, medals he has won at the expense of his blood: “Everything is shown by means of humor and anecdotes, but it hurts, for he sells a whole history,” says Duryan.
The author purposefully presents his hero in three societies – in dictatorship, in wild capitalism and democracy. And the alterations of the human type according to the type of the society become obvious when Mels says to himself in total freedom: “I saw dictatorship and freedom and now I understand a simple thing: freedom is measured by the largeness of one’s cage”.
[...]
The French press and the cultural programs at the TF1 TV Company have covered the Armenian’s performance. Elle a Paris writes: “With a great portion of sense of humor and deep observation Narek Duryan opened the closed curtains of the Soviets before us.” And the Paris Capitale says the performance “created a big revolution in the De Jazet Theater for French audience”.
[...]
Audiences in Paris have been about 20 percent Diaspora. (Duryan hopes to bring the performance to Armenia, but doesn't know when.)
[...]
“Although it is 25 years already that I live in Paris, I always considered myself a man from Yerevan, I haven’t changed even my language; for me the acknowledgement of the audience here (Yerevan) is very important and I think I will get it soon,” says Duryan.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Abrahamyan
Yerevan native playwright Narek Duryan’s play “Thank You, God” is enjoying a repeat performance in Paris, at the De Jazet Theater.
The play was so successful during a month-long run in June, that the board of directors of the 700-seat theater in Bastille Square invited Duryan back, where he is again the featured attraction this month.
[...]
The character created and embodied by Duryan carries elements of self-biography, of a man named Mels who has passed through a socialist regime and is enjoying a European democracy trying to realize what freedom is.
[...]
During “independence”, Mels ends up selling his valued possessions in Yerevan’s vernisage bazaar; he puts his father’s military coat for sale, medals he has won at the expense of his blood: “Everything is shown by means of humor and anecdotes, but it hurts, for he sells a whole history,” says Duryan.
The author purposefully presents his hero in three societies – in dictatorship, in wild capitalism and democracy. And the alterations of the human type according to the type of the society become obvious when Mels says to himself in total freedom: “I saw dictatorship and freedom and now I understand a simple thing: freedom is measured by the largeness of one’s cage”.
[...]
The French press and the cultural programs at the TF1 TV Company have covered the Armenian’s performance. Elle a Paris writes: “With a great portion of sense of humor and deep observation Narek Duryan opened the closed curtains of the Soviets before us.” And the Paris Capitale says the performance “created a big revolution in the De Jazet Theater for French audience”.
[...]
Audiences in Paris have been about 20 percent Diaspora. (Duryan hopes to bring the performance to Armenia, but doesn't know when.)
[...]
“Although it is 25 years already that I live in Paris, I always considered myself a man from Yerevan, I haven’t changed even my language; for me the acknowledgement of the audience here (Yerevan) is very important and I think I will get it soon,” says Duryan.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 6:21 AM
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